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I would like to give a special thanks to... - Review of Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

Ive just come back from the most amazing holiday to Zanzibar with my wife and 2 kids aged 2 and 4, booked through African Encounters (Farzanah). Ive been to Zanzibar previously and stayed at Mapenzi and La Gemma, which are both wonderful properties!

I must say the service received from the time I started enquiries through Farzanah who gave me a few options and ended up on her recommendation to Karafuu which is the perfect place for what I had in mind.... to the time I departed was just amazing!

Thanks Farzanah for a wonderful holiday, the family still wont stop talking about it! I would like to give a special thanks to Zakariyah (MANAGER) for making me feel at home. Mr Akida , Farida, Hoosen, Mr Ebrahim and Idrees (dive centre) and Mr Yusuf from the pool area were fantastic.. The chef from the restaurant went beyond and above to assist with all the meal request and a very special thank you to all of them... sometimes the assistance of the staff and how they treat you make a world of difference and this is how i felt about Karafuu.

I stayed in the cottage rooms which were nice and spacious, the only negative thing I have is the rooms are very dark, Ive already voiced my concerns with the hotel and by them putting in lighter furniture or getting more natural light in the place will really boost the feel of the resort.

I will definetly recommend friends and family to visit this resort, its "africa" standard and I wont promote it as a 5*, So, as long as you have this in mind you wont be dissapointed and you will have a great trip!

Room Tip: If you have the extra money, rather book the junior suites as these are right in front and have the...

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Stayed March 2013, traveled with family

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Ask SameerL_13 about Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

The location was good, near to the Rock Resataurant. Our room was spacious and the taste was good.

However, the service needs to be improved. We had several things stolen from our room. Nothing was valueable but still very disappointing. In addition, the water stopped for about an hour every day probably due to construction, but we were never informed of when the water will stop.

It's not an expensive hotel so maybe I shouldn't expecet too much. (Though I still believe this hotel is overrated)

Stayed January 2013

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Ask insomniac12 about Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

A cottage all of our own with an un-interrupted view of the sea.The sea was like getting into a very warm bath.Lots of colourful fish to see,especially at low water.The food was some of the best we had experienced on our safari holiday.The staff were very attentive and helpful,taking your plate to the table.We were "all inclusive" and without being greedy we certainly got our monies worth.They arranged for us to have another cottage as our flight out was not until the afternoon so that we were able to go for a swim and then have a shower.We decided to have a lunch there which was now not in the "all inclusive".However it was certainly not expensive.Would certainly go there again.We also ate at the restaurant that only serves fish.My husband had lobster and he is still raving about it two weeks later!!

Room Tip: Ask for a cottage with a view of the sea.

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Stayed March 2013, traveled as a couple

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Ask Baqueret about Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

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We had a wonderful wedding and honeymoon at KARAFUU ! thanks to Farida and all the staff at karafuu who made everything perfect for us on our special day, everythng was perfect, food was excellent ! and our private wedding dinner something to remember forever in our hearts

Stayed February 2013, traveled as a couple

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Ask eande312578 about Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

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Coming from the mainland after nine days of safari in a Toyota Landcruiser, all dirty, tired, filled with new impressions. Enjoying the luxury of Karafuu Hotel was close to paradise! We had a nice, clean bungalow, plenty of good food, fantastic beach and perfect service.

Stayed November 2012, traveled with friends

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Ask L0Ka about Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

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Well lets get this straight,you will not find much better service anywhere.We are extensive travellers and cant think of a place where the staff were so accomadating and friendly.Yes the location is remote but we went for total relaxation and we certainly got that.The beach is amazing,beautiful warm water and lovely beach for walking(totally safe).We were upgraded to a suite on arrival which was a nice touch,it was like having your own bungalow,the rooms were kept spotless.The pool was brilliant and never busy whilst we were there.Sunbeds are not a problem at this hotel so no getting up early to get one.The food was the normal all-inclusive with always something to satisfy,plenty of fresh fish and the breakfast were excellent.We certainly had no complaints and the 4kg weight gain says it all.We went a couple of trips,yes the beach boys will at first hassle the "fresh meat" for trips but they are ok in fact they are half the price of the Virgin trips so it was really a no brainer though I checked with other guestas first before booking.If your not interested just tell them you have a full program with the Hotel trips.This is a poor country so you have to expect local people to get some business from tourists.We took a "poor peoples bag" with us and the kids went mad when we gave it to them,simple things like shampoo,pens,old toys and cloathes were gratefully recieved.For those of you worried about the flights,we went through Virgin using Kenyan Airways,yes its a bit of a haul having to stop in Kenya but we didnt encounter any problems unlike previous reviews have mentioned.Slight delay coming home due to extra luggage on the plane ,other than that it was fine.All in all I would put this holiday up with the best we have ever had,fantastic staff(Special mention for Rachael the waitress who was brilliant),Freddie was hilarious trying to learn Cockney slang he came out with things we havnt heard for years and "Mr Chelsea" the animation guy who did a brilliant job.Thanks to ther front desk who arranged for us to keep all inc and room on until 15.30(should have ended at 10.00 am) this topped off an amazing holiday.Thanks againt to the Karafuu I would certainly recommend to friends.

Stayed November 2012, traveled as a couple

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Ask greeny20 about Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

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We arrived on 29th Sept for two weeks. First impressions were very good. The location, setting and layout were fantastic. Our lodge was great, lots of room and very comfortable. Sitting on the verandah for a pre-dinner sundowner was very pleasant. The staff couldn't do more and took a genuine pride in being helpful.However. on all inclusive, the buffet food in the main dining room was like school dinners. Poor quality and quickly became boring and monotonous. The all inclusive wine was very poor, I couldn't drink it. We ate at the a la carte restaurant 4 times - at a supplement. Two meals were sent back. The head chef came and cooked for us personally for our last meal.The management was very poor. The power to the island is supplied from the mainland through underwater cables which are now 50 years old.They are apparantly being replaced which is causing additional power supplies to the island. We experienced multiple power cuts nearly every day ranging from 5 minutes to 7 hours. The water supply round the hotel was pumped. No power - no water - no loos - no washing. Where the management completely failed was in not ensuring that the back up generator was in working order. These problems should have been foreseen and that the back up generator was working properly. The management did not communicate any of this to the guests who were literally running round in the dark. People were walking around during the cuts by the light from their mobile phones.On our penultimate day, I picked a tummy bug losing 20lbs in 10 days. I can't help wondering whether poor water supply had any effect on food hygeine.

Conclusion - Don't go!

Stayed September 2012, traveled as a couple

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Ask Andrew H about Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa

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On a deserted white sandy beach, at 65 km from Stone Town, lies Karafuu Beach Resort and Spa, an international five-star hotel, winner of the World Travel Awards as Tanzania Leading Resort and Africa Leading Beach Resort 2011 .It is one of the most luxurious hotels on the east coast of Zanzibar, where, even during low tide, it’s possible to enjoy a comfortable swim in the ocean. ...more less

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Also Known As:

Karafuu Beach Hotel Pingwe

Karafuu Hotel Beach

Karafuu Resort Beach

Karafuu Beach Resort And Spa Zanzibar/Pingwe

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